Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Typically what are some of the first significant changes one will see after doing the Paleo diet. Or expect to see after a few weeks on it

flag	asked Jun 27 2011 at 11:56 PaleoPlay 801●2●12

tovesworld · Answer 1 · 2011-08-29 00:19:21Z UTC

Within a few days my ankles stopped swelling. This is something I thought I'd just have to live with (I was afraid of becoming one of those old ladies in the grocery store with ankles so swollen they can hardly walk!) and I drank tons of water & watched my salt intake but still had swelling. Enough that if I wore ankle socks to exercise after I took them off it looked like I had a rubber band strapped around my ankles. Now it is totally gone! The second thing I noticed is that I wasn't wheezing when I was walking around outside on an awful humid day. I developed this a couple of years ago after a bout of swine flu and again, thought I was stuck with it and it's the reason I gave up my leisurely, totally relaxing runs. I'm kinda excited to try those again. I'm hoping that maybe my shin splints maybe (just maybe) will improve especially if I ease into barefoot running.

(This is not chronic cardio, BTW, when I say running I mean more like plodding along. I'm one of those penguin runners!)

Sara · Answer 2 · 2011-06-27 15:48:40Z UTC

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Even without losing a whole lot of weight, my fat shifted from an "apple" shape to more of a "pear" shape. A few months ago I started pigging out on grains, and the weight came right on my waist again.

answered Jun 27 2011 at 15:48

Sara
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I think my changes were the same. Yesterday as I was going to measure my waist, and looked front on in the mirror, I noticed that I HAVE a waist. Very cool to see it again:) – Aili Jun 27 2011 at 16:42

My husband was so excited to see it after I had my baby. It seems that the more Paleo I go, the more I see of it. Now I've just gotta get rid of this lower-belly/hip fat... – Sara Jun 27 2011 at 18:16

Aili · Answer 3 · 2011-06-27 14:59:36Z UTC

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Hi, For me, In 5 weeks, i have lost 4 inches from my waist. Exercise has involved digging a hauling for the gardens(we have several) and eating alomst 100% paleo (do have balsamic vinegar, and have tried greek yogurt).

answered Jun 27 2011 at 14:59

Aili
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Josh M · Answer 4 · 2011-06-27 13:27:43Z UTC

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For me it was definitely no bloating after eating, less plaque on my teeth, my skin feels great (according to my girlfriend), sleep better and do not rely on an alarm clock anymore.

answered Jun 27 2011 at 13:27

Josh M
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My teeth have also significantly improved. – Sara Jun 27 2011 at 18:17

Vrimj · Answer 5 · 2011-06-27 12:59:30Z UTC

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For me it is joint pain. It goes away without gluten and sugar and comes back when I eat sugar.

I think it is different for everyone, but that is one notable effect I get in the first week or so.

answered Jun 27 2011 at 12:59

Vrimj
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Vrimj, I've been doing some research into RA and ketogenic diets -- there's a guy in Oslo who's done some work in this area. You might be interested in his research: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10895373 and mendeley.com/research/… – Rose Jun 27 2011 at 14:10

Wow that is interesting. It sounds stupid but I never thought to bring my joint pain to my doctors attention. I feel stupid because I am sitting here with tears in my eyes because my neck wrists and ankles hurt so bad but it never occurred to me to mention it. Now I wonder if I can pop in and get a sed rate done today while I hurt... thank you Rose! – Vrimj Jun 27 2011 at 15:04

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I've been that way with doctor's, too. I think it's because it becomes a constant, so it doesn't seem like an urgent problem. Like my oil change light. It's always on, but I don't change the oil, and rarely notice it. But when the Low oil light comes on, suddenly I notice it and do something about it. (Don't anyone go yelling at me about taking care of my car, now, okay?) – Sara Jun 27 2011 at 15:52

Nutritionator · Answer 6 · 2011-06-27 12:30:01Z UTC

As far as my n=1 on paleo:

I'm less bloated all the time, especially after meals which equates to a flatter belly.

My skin feels "tighter," I can see more muscle definition and my veins pop out more.

No more acne. At all. Anywhere.

I tan much better and haven't burned once since going paleo, even though I haven't used sun tan lotion.

I get a lot of minor scratches and such when I hike and work with tools and it could just be in my head but I believe I heal faster on paleo. I don't want this to sound like voodoo, just an observation.

I noticed some of these changes days in and all of them within a couple weeks of doing 80% paleo. Doing the July Whole30 and I'm really pumped to see how good 100% strict paleo is going to make me feel.

That's as far as physical appearance. I can honestly say that I've never felt this light, strong, lean and athletic in my whole life, even though I've been playing different sports for 20 years.

So yeah, you could say I'm a fan.

cliff · Answer 7 · 2011-06-27 12:27:08Z UTC

it depends on your condition/diet/knowledge before paleo. Before I went paleo my diet was deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. My condition probably stemmed from mostly nutrient deficiencies and not being informed which was painful acne, tooth decay, couldn't get up at dawn, couldn't wear the same clothes or not take a shower without feeling dirty, poor posture and less motivation to exercise/play.

Paleo isn't just about the diet, it's a lifestyle which has 4 pillars: diet, exercise, posture and mental health.

Physical Changes

7 Answers